Blood Moon
Total lunar eclipse tonight. Just checked, there is a bite taken out of the bottom of the moon and the shadow is moving slowly over the surface. I am very excited; it is a perfect night to see the total eclipse and the moon turn red.
BBC report. Times report. It will be at its height between 10.24pm to 11.58pm. ( Pic shows a 1993 lunar eclipse from CNN.com)
In ancient times, this was a portent of evil and disaster. Bad day for a celebration if you are superstitious. But I don't believe in ill-fate dogging people, I believe that you make your own luck, and that it's how you react to chance events, as well as how you behave in your daily life which creates the consequences you live with, not the movements of the moon, or the stars.
Labels: eclipse
posted by Rachel at 9:35 pm
Thanks for the anonymous message, I have adapted the post slightly so there can be no doubt as to what I meant when, like hundreds of thousands of others, I went outside to wonder at the full eclipse. I made a similar point in my post to the BBC about the 'blood-moon' being seen as a portent of disaster - and then added that I do not believe in astrology and such superstitions.
I think people have choices about how they react, whether to random events, or in ordering their lives based on the consequences of their own actions and decisions - and fatalistic submission to a Hardy-esque concept of Fate or Destiny steering your soul's ship - is to self-limit yourself and deny yourself the power to make and live with your own choices. I hope that is more unambiguous.
I took your message down as it could also, unfortunately have been misconstrued and fuelled the fire!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I went and missed it... damn ... Got the tail end at around 01:30...
hi rachel,
i saw the eclipse out on long island ( thru a telescope) as there is way too much light in nyc to see anything in the sky for the most part.it was pretty cool.
im glad that you were able to make your submission deadline. perhaps you can post a exerpt or two here?
ta ta for now,
seth
It was good from here too. Never thought of portents. If I do now, it's to think; they're good ones. Enjoy your liberty. Will you post a picture of your wedding dress? love gp
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I don't know about portents of doom associated with the Lunar eclipse. I think that's the proviso of comets; and especially applicable for those in power (Tone) :)
Here's some Myths!
An old Norse myth tells about Hijuki and Bil, who walk to a well to get water when the moon god Mani causes them to fall down the hill.
The Bushmen of southern Africa tell the story of a sun goddess and moon god. When the sun goddess is angry with the moon god, she pierces him with her rays until his face gradually disappears. Then a new moon grows.
The Chinese believed that an eclipse was caused when the gods sent a celestial dragon to eat the sun. To this day the Chinese word for eclipse is "shih" which means to bite or nibble.
Toba peoples believed in a sun goddess name Akewa. According to their legend, Akewa was one of the radiant sky women who out of curiosity decided to descend to earth to take a closer look at the brutish and ignorant creatures called men. But the men were lying in ambush, and as soon as all the sky women were down, their accomplice the falcon cut the rope. The women were stranded and taken captive by the men. But the men had been too hasty, for one of the sky women was late. This is Akewa who became the sun.
My favourite:
In Tahiti eclipses have been interpreted as the lovemaking of the Sun and the Moon.
Sweet.
Glad you enjoyed it. I watched it too, first proper lunar eclipse I'd ever seen from start to finish.
No thoughts of portents or superstition crossed my mind, personally. I just enjoyed it for what I understood it to be, the earth's shadow and all that. Perfectly natural and normal. And beautiful too. As the poet said,
"What is this life, if, full of care
We have no time to stand and stare?"